One of the fitnahs of our times and bidahs which began after the time of Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) and sahabah, which even kuffaar of Makkah were not in the mind set of. What is that? It is that the ilm (knowledge) is something different, separate from practise and the thought that one can benefit from one without the other.

We cannot understand it sometimes because we are born centuries after and when something becomes a norm already it doesn’t surprise us. They started this new thought, which was opposite to how Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) brought up the sahabah.

There was no room and no space in the lives of sahabah that they should hear something on the deen and they will think about it and then they will act upon it when it is suitable for them. This is one of the biggestfitnas which began afterwards. There mentality the Quran says “we have heard and we have obeyed”. Even the kuffar knew that if we accept this person and recite the kalima that they will totally have to change aswell. They knew it was one statement but they will never be the same. They couldn’t say it’s not the right time now.

The space between knowledge and practise became more and more with time.

Allah revealed in stages and if Allah revealed all in one the sahabah would have tried to follow all.

Today there is many CDs and DVDs and lots of knowledge available. Knowledge is available but the state of people is deteriorating because shaytaan has diseased them with his thought. When Allah said -” Oh Iblis what stopped you from what I have commanded” he was thinking “it’s not the right time for me”, he mentioned “I am better than him and he gave a justification”

Think about yourself, not shaytaan. Do you sometimes here the verse of Quran and do you say, “it is finished now I have heard and I will obey.” Or do you think, “it is a nice command but I will follow when I feel the time is rights.”

If the knowledge of many scholars is put together, he has more. We sometimes say we wish we could’veheard from Prophets, well he heard direct from Allah.

If you have this mentality then look at the universities in the world that have done high level studies. It’s good to know but as though they are different from it. Inspite of their vast knowledge. Imam Ghazali realised after 30 years, it wasn’t easy to realise but easy to say “I am struck with this misunderstanding of what I know” but he realised that all of these are suppose to take one closer to Allah and Allah to be pleased. “I myself am witness that I am not in that state.” He tried to match that knowledge with his practise. “How am I going to do it now?” It was his search but what I am saying to you is that you should be vigilant and careful that you don’t fall into this mentality.

Shaytaan was the first person but Adam alayhissalamwas asked the same question. He did not justify, he rather had an immediate action and he repented. Allahsays “Adam forgot”. Their intention is never intended for disobeying never mind doing a sin.

He never came up with this excuse. When a person comes up with excuses seldom can he be rectified.

That was one of the wisdom of taraweeh that whateverhad been revealed will be recited and acted upon.

That is one thing which I wanted to share with you in the beginning. That’s why people go to shuyukh for tazkiyah. Don’t they know what’s right and wrong. They have become victims of this disease of separating knowledge and practise.

The shaykh will take one point of that knowledge andsay “do it”. The seeker will say “yes”. The path to Allahcan be shown in 5 minutes but taking them on the path is a different matter.

Main discourse
This time we will be using an example of a house in order to explain the tareeq ilallah. I have recited the 10 verses of surah muminoon because they are a foundation for all the Turuq.

Hadith “today such verses have been revealed upon me, whoever acts upon them will enter Jannah”

Surah Fatiha is a summary of Quran but it is a question. You are asking guidance. From alif alam meem to wannas is the answer to that question. But where is the summary of the answer.

When some of the Tabieen went and visited Hazrat Aisha radiallahu anha and asked we to tell us something about the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam). She said your asking me when The Lord Himself mentioned him. His inner self was the walking and talking Quran. They said the Quran is lengthy so she then read the 10 verses of surah mumin as the summary.

Every book has a reflection of the inner self of the Prophet it was revealed. If you read the Quran with understanding that is one part of the inner self of the Pophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam).

“Ramadhan comes and go, season come and go, the world is changing every day, time is going like a cloud: the same cloud never returns but the people are too busy to recognise that their world is drifting into tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day of resurrection and every second is precious.

The people are coming and going. The most valued are the souls on this earth and that which houses it. ”

“This world houses many in different ways, some live in different places, they live in different ways. Some live in palaces and some are homeless.

Allah has given you all a house to live in, a house which holds the greatest value and treasures. It is your body which you possess. It has housed the greatest treasure, the spirit.”

“Many people build their houses in latter ages of life and not much time to live there. It is just a wish they are fulfilling. ”

“Your hearts are like a house of closeness of Allah, every house needs to be built…

We have lost the motivation or the thing which keeps us away. Is it enough to know does and donts. But ratherwe have in the Quran 20% is does and donts. And the other 80% is motivation to get you to do the does and abstain from the donts.

If you ask any person ” are you a useless person doing things that there are no benefit”. He will not want to be referred to as useless. So as a human being you don’t like to do useless things and be attributed to uselessness. So how can Allah who is all wise be saying useless things. So that 80% of no commands is there for a very big reason because without them you won’t be able to do the 20%. In that 80% is about arkhirah, death, barzakh, day if judgement, details of hell and paradise. Also is the mention of the company of saliheen and ambiyah and the stories of the Prophets and sahabah and auliya. And the stories of the kuffar and pharaoh. They are stories, they don’t tell you to do anything. The fazail of the good deeds and the consequences of the bad deeds. The greatness of Allah and the status of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam). These are all the foundation that will help you to act upon the does and donts. And that is the wisdom that Allah revealed these before the does and donts. There are mostly in the Meccan surahs.

When we bombard people with does and donts this is a mistake as Allah did not do this. Wen did Salah come, after many years. The forbiddance of alcohol and the hijab. Some people in our age are living in Meccan period and you are responding with madinah verses. Some sahabah said if the command for some things were revealed in Makkah we would not have been able to follow it fully.

When it was revealed, they spat the alcohol out and vomited it out if t was in their stomachs immediately. How was this want to obey developed, there was 10 years of tazkiyah and Zikr. Zikr came with the very verse command, remembrance if Allah, recitation of the name of Allah. Thereafter there’s no command. The Zikr and tazkiyah were from very beginning. And if that’s not there all the knowledge goes to waste.

Shaytaan excelled in knowledge but he did not do tazkiyah, his illness of arrogance would’ve been removed first by any shaykh he would’ve gone to. Hedidn’t adopt or take a shaykh in his life. He was a self made scholar. He sat in angels company but wanted to teach them. Angels were surprised as he was a strange creation like if an angel came here we are surprised. That disease brought him to the deepest and darkest parts of hell.

Hadith “you are the best purifier oh Allah. ” if Allah is the best then learn His methodology that He adopted to purify us. Allah adopted the methodology of not bombarding people but Zikr and the love and motivating factors. Then his inner self starts to change and then he will stand his ground for tazkiyah. This is a major difference between ulama batin and ulama of dunya. People feel bad. They don’t want to stay close to them because they are criticized.
But auliyah, the don’t focus on does and don’t and they don’t give him anything to do. They might mention a story of a pious person or sinful person, they will mention all things but not directly addressed. Really they are addressing everyone here but indirect. Sometimes the people will say “oh that’s about me”. And that is sunnah.

One of the aarrifeen said if Isa alayhissalam could speak in the cradle then prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) could do that Aswell. Why he did not, because Allah wanted rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) to I’ve dawah by action for 40 years. I’mmentioning the approach. That’s why 100,000s people become guided by auliyah. Because of the methodology and mentality because they have got the fahm (understanding) of deen which is a very big blessing, without which they do more harm.

A battery example, if your battery is not charged, inspite of knowing you will not be able to do work. Eg by attending gatherings of knowledge a person feels closer and then gets the strength to practise.

1) Attend
2) listen – they listen when they like you
3) reflect – the change has started although they might still be doing sin. Telling a person something and then seeing him not do it, high expectation. Look at the master of purification, year after year. Allah -” for some people it’s equal you warn them or not” but he (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) never stopped because you do not know who they are and when they will change.
4 -“interest develops, not because if words but because of akhlaq. The most attractive personality in the universe is of rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) and Allah said -” if you were harsh with them, they will not be surrounding you as they are now” even though he has the most beautiful. They are not bothered because it’sonly the akhlaq that affects them.

Hazrat Hasan basri radiallahu anhu fell ill. His non Muslim neighbour smelt it. He said this is from me. He said no it’s from a toilet smell. Hasan basri said its from your house and because I’m ill I could not fix it. He said why didn’t you tell me, I could’ve fixed it. He said our prophet said “Forbear the difficulties that come to you from the neighbour and don’t offend them. ” this struck him and this brought him into Islam.

5 – weighs the options

6- makes intention

7 – makes a decision

8- becomes active

9 – takes step I start journey to Allah

9 step process a person goes through to change. For majority of mankind, they don’t have thirst, this is how to develop their thirst.

Modern day shockers say they should come to us, we are the wells of knowledge. The auliyah said you aremaking an assumption that all people have the talab and thirst for Allah which is a wrong assumption. Your example is correct when people have thirst. Now the situation is the majority of people outside done have any thirst. He said what shall we do? Become a cloud giving rahma, not like a well. Why should they do this because their Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) did thisaswell. He didn’t sit in cave of hira, he was a cloud over Makkah and Madinah and all creation.

House example “to build a house of closeness of Allah one needs the best and strongest foundation which can withstand the pressure of any weight of whisper of shaytaan.

Some people have built their houses on sand or sea.

The foundation can’t be seen.

“Aqeedah fiqh repentance mujahadah are layers of foundation which can withstand anything.

What are the other 108 verses of surah muminoon for if with only 10 of them you will enter paradise. They are the motivators.